Adjustable roller terminal



May 3, 1966 J. A. ANDERSON ADJUSTABLE ROLLER TERMINAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 12, 1964 INVENTOR $41755 14. KM/JRS'QJ/ QQZ/ f May 3, 1966 J A. ANDERSON 3,243,899

ADJUSTABLE ROLLER TERMINAL Filed March 12, 1964 2 Sheets$heet 2 m E 20 I 20 I75. 6. 96.8.

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INVENTOR. 1/4W55 ,4. 4 005 690 BY w United States Patent 3,248,899 ADJUSTABLE ROLLER TERMINAL James A. Anderson, Muskegon, Mich, assignor to Breneman-Hartshorn, Inn, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 351,357 6 Claims. ((11. 64-5) This invention relates to shade rollers, and more particularly to a terminal piece or plug to be used in the end of a shade roller to permit incremental adjustments in the length of the roller.

Shade rollers are produced in several standard lengths. These are designed to fit the most frequently used window widths. Unfortunately, a large number of windows are not of a standard width, and it is necessary to adjust the length of the shade roller to the actual width of the window. This must be done reasonably accurately or the roller will appear to be displaced to one side of the window.

This length adjustment must be done by either the dealer or the customer. It is impractical to perform this operation at the factory. The standard practice is to select the next larger shade and reduce its length to the dimension required. For this purpose the dealers are normally equipped with special machines to neatly trim the end of the roller. Due to errors in measurement, transposition of figures, or lack of careful attention in cutting, it not infrequently occurs that the roller is cut slightly short of that which is necessary to fit the particular window size. It also frequently occurs that the Window size is between an eighth and a half an inch too wide for a standard roller. In both of these cases, it is necessary to extend slightly the length of the roller to meet the circumstances of its use.

These rollers have a spring in one end to retract the shade, and a gudgeon pin at the other end about which the roller rotates. Obviously, the adjustment cannot be made at the spring end of the roller, and must be made at the end where the gudgeon pin is located. In a conventional roller, the cut or trimming of the roller cannot be made until the gudgeon pin has been removed. This causes many problems. After the cutting operation has been completed, the gudgeon pin must be replaced. It is essential that the replaced gudgeon pin be perfectly centered in the end of the roller. Experience has shown that even with reasonably sophisticated equipment, dealers do not succeed in properly entering the gudgeon pin when it is remounted. The average customer, lacking such equipment, has even greater difliculty. An eccentrio gudgeon pin causes the roller to turn unevenly. This, inturn, results in many undesirable effects such as improper winding of the shade, jerky and irregular operation, as Well as excessive noise when the shade is being extended or retracted. It also produces excessive wear. The end result is an unsatisfactory installation.

This problem has been approached from a number of different aspects; One of these is to provide a plug in the end of the roller which can be removed to permit the roller to be cut. To permit small adjustments in length the plug is provided with spaced tabs which are bent out to provide stops at various distances so that the telescoping of the plug into the roller is limited. This provides incremental length adjustment. Another structure is to provide holes in both the roller and the plug into which some type of stop such as a sinuous wire can be inserted at various increments of telescopic adjustment. Another solution which has been utilized is to provide a spring biased end plug. Such a plug will automatically adjust to the spacing between the brackets supporting the roller.

These solutions have had varying degrees of success.

The spring biased end plug has been found to greatly increase the wear on the gudgeon pin and on the bearings on which the roller is mounted. Thus, the rollers effective life is materially reduced. Any adjustment means employing materials which project above the surface of the main roller creates a condition which will telegraph through the shade material. Thus, when the shade is extended, that portion of the shade which is close to the roller during storage will be deformed and show imprints of the irregularity of the roller surface. The use of the metal tabs has proven reasonably successful, but requires the dealer or customer to bend out the tabs and perform other operations which may or may not be done with the degree of accuracy which is required to assure fully satisfactory operation of the shade after installation. Further, the tabs require the end plug to be fabricated of metal. Plastic materials are more desirable for several reasons.

This invention provides an improved solution to the problem, using a telescoping end plug having improved and desirable characteristics. The use of this end plug eliminates the necessity of removal of the gudgeon pin when the roller is shortened. The gudgeon pin is mounted in the plug at the factory, and thus, is perfectly centered. The plug is removed during the cutting operation on the roller and restored when this operation has been completed. The plug is automatically self-centering, and thus, automatically self-centers the gudgeon pin for perfect functioning of the roller.

The invention provides a plug with increased increments of adjustments, permitting the roller to be adjusted to additional variations in window widths. The plug may be molded from suitable synthetic resinous materials, and thus, has a low wear factor, combined with high strength and exceptionally quiet operation. The invention eliminates the possibility of error on the part of the dealer because the dealer does not have to perform any function to adapt the plug to any of its several adjusted positions other than to withdraw it from the end of the roller. No tools, special jigs or other equipment are required. Further, all adjustments can be made while the shade material is rolled up on the roller since it is unnecessary to get beneath the shade material to obtain access to the plug or the means by which the plug is incrementally adjusted with respect to the end of the roller.

These and other purposes and advantages of this invention will be understood by those acquainted with the design and construction of shade rollers and shade roller equipment upon reading the following specification and i the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, central, sectionalpelevation roller;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the end plug;

'FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the end plug illustrated in FIG. 2 showing the plug rotated degrees;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the plug illustrated in FIG. 3, showing the opposite side of the plug to that shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, central, sectional, elevation view showing the plug partially withdrawn from the end of the roller;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, oblique, enlarged view of one of the fingers used to control the incremental positioning of the plug;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the plane VIIVH of FIG. 3;

:FIG. 8 is a sectional, elevation view of a modified plug; and

FIG. 9 is a central, sectional view of a further modified plug.

To execute the objects and purposes of this invention, the plug is designed to be telescopically received in the tubular end of a shade roller. The plug has fingers severed from its sides, which fingers have ridges projecting radially therefrom. The ridges are at spaced intervals lengthwise of the plug. By withdrawing the plug from the end of the roller, the ridges, one by one, are permitted to spring radially outward-1y. If the plug is pushed inwardly again, until the ridge bears against the end of the roller, the length of the roller is fixed and securely held against further inward telescopic movement. Several ridges are provided on each finger. To obtain additional adjustment, more than one finger may be provided with the ridges of one finger offset lengthwise of the roller from the fingers on the other so that the ridges of one finger will take over when the plug is too far extended for the ridges on the first finger to function as stops.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a shade roller. This shade roller may be of any suitable construction. It may be entirely of tubular construction, or a substantial portion of it may be a solid rod-like member with a tubular extension on one end. Irrespective of the nature of the roller itself, the end adjacent the gudgeon pin must be tubular as illustrated in FIG. 1. This roller adjacent the gudgeon pin has an open end into which is received an end piece or plug 11. The plug 11 is preferably an integral, molded body having a tubular sleeve portion 12 closed on one end by a cap portion 13. The entire plug may be molded of any suitable material as, for example, a polyamide, nylon or one of the higher density polyvinyls. The material must be characterized by sufficient resilience that the portions of the plug which are bent or deflected when the plug is fully inserted in the roller will automatically shift outwardly as the plug is withdrawn from the when The tubular sleeve portion 12 has an external diameter such that it is received snugly and telescopically in the end of the roller 10. This fit should be such that the roller is closely held by the plug. At the same time, the fit must permit withdrawal of the plug without the use of excessive force. The cap portion 13 of the plug body has a greater diameter than that of the skirt portion 12, and thus, its outer perimeter is co-planar with the exterior surface of the roller 10, and in effect, constitutes a continuation of the roller.

. 'Ooncentrically mounted in the end of the plug is a gudgeon pin 14. The gudgeon pin may be of metal, but 'preferably is of a suitable, high density nylon. It is permanently installed in the end cap of the plug. This pin is factory mounted by equipment which will assure its perfect concentricity with the body of the plug. The configuration of the gudgeon pin, its method of mounting, and the use of synthetic resinous material such as nylon for its fabrication are all conventional characteristics, and in themselves, form no part of this invention.

As the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, tongues or fingers 20 and 21 are provided, one on each side of the sleeve portion of the plug. These fingers are elongated lengthwise of the plug, are severed from the rest of the body of the plug along both sides and at the end adjacent the cap 13. At the other end 22, each finger is integral with the sleeve so that the fingers are anchored to the plug. Preferably, the fingers are tapered lengthwise and are narrower adjacent the gudgeon pin '14 than at the end 22.

-Each of the fingers 20 and 21 are externally, radially extending, spaced ribs or ridges, elongated circumferential'ly of the plug. In the particular construction shown, these ridges are arranged in pairs, spaced lengthwise 0f the plug, with the first ridge 23 of the finger 21 projecting radially further than the second ridge 23a. The same differential in radial height exists between the fingers 23b and 230. The fingers 23 and 23a are spaced lengthwise of the plug from the fingers 23b and 230. Thus, the bearing edge 24 of the ridge 23 may be spaced an eighth or three-sixteenths of an inch from the inner face 25 of the cap portion 13 of the plug. The bearing face 24a of the plug 23a is spaced one eighth of an inch from the bearing face 24, While the bearing face 24b of the finger 23b being spaced another eighth of an inch from the bearing face 24a. Similar spacing is provided for the bearing face Me of the ridge 23c. Thus, these hearing faces, together with the inner bearing face 25 of the cap portion 13 represent five incremental spacings along the plug. The purpose of the differential in radial height of the ridges will be explained subsequently.

The roller 10 is shipped from the factory with the plug 11 fully inserted in its end. Thus, the end of the roller 10 bears against the surface 25 of the cap portion 13 of the plug 11. Assuming that the length of the roller has to be adjusted to increase its length and no cutting operation has to be performed on the roller, the adjustment is made by withdrawing the plug the correct amount from the end of the roller 10. If the adjustment is only an eighth of an inch, the plug will be withdrawn only enough to expose the ridge 23 at the end of the roller. The resilience of the finger will then urge the finger outwardly sufiiicently to bring the bearing face 24 of the ridge 23 into engagement with the end of the roller 10. If the plug has been withdrawn too much, it is then pushed back into the roller until the ridge forms a stop, preventing further insertion of the plug. In this manner, the length of the roller can be adjusted approximately an eighth of an inch.

If the roller has to be adjusted to add an additional one quarter of an inch to its length, the plug, instead of being pulled out to the ridge 23, is pulled out to the ridge 23a. Once the ridge 23a has been freed from the end of the roller, the plug is pushed in until the ridge 23a bears against the end of the roller, thus automatically spacing the plug in an extended position of one quarter of an inch. If additional extension is required, the plug is pulled further out. As the plug is withdrawn further, the second finger 20 will become operative and the ridge 23b will snap into position to retain the plug. Further withdrawal of the plug will permit the ridge 230 to function. At this point maximum adjustment has been reached, which in the case of the particular form of this invention illustrated, would be approximately one half inch.

It will be understood after this description that the differential in height between the ridges on each of the fingers is to permit the first or outer ridge to shift out to overlap the end of the roller 10 and function as a stop against the end of the roller, despite the fact that the finger continues to be partially bent in due to the bearing of the inner or second ridge against the inside surface of the roller. This bending is illustrated in FIG. 5, wherein the finger 21 is shown still confined within the tubular portion of the roller 10.

When the length of the roller 10 is shortened by cutting or trimming, the function and use of the plug 11 is the same as that just described. However, before the roller 10 is cut, the plug is entirely removed. When it is reinserted in the end of the roller, the operator presses the fingers inwardly to permit the ridges to slide into the roller.

It will be understood from this explanation that it is essential that the body of the plug be of such material and of such strength that the plug cannot twist or deflect when extended from the end of the roller, even though it is subjected to considerable side pressure due to the forces generated when a shade is extended or retracted. This arrangement provides a quick, simple, easy method of adjusting the length of a roller. No tools or special equipment are required to adjust the roller rather precise- Iy to the particular window width. Further, this invention permits the length of the roller to be readjusted at some subsequent time should it be desired to move the shade from one window to another, necessitating lengthening or shortening of the roller. Shortening the roller would be extremely simple. It is only necessary to depress the finger carrying the ridges which are determining the particular position of the plug. With the finger depressed, the plug can be reinserted in the end of the tube until the correct length has been reached.

FIG. 8 illustrates a modification in which the plug 11a has a sleeve 12a of tapered thickness. The rest of the plugs construction is the same as that of plug 11. The tapered wall of the sleeve facilitates removal of the plug from the mold die and tends to stiffen the fingers 20 and 21.

FIG. 9 illustrates a modification in which the fingers 20 and 21 of plug 11b are arranged in pairs with the fingers of each pair diametrically spaced. Other than this, plug 11b is identical to plug 11. The wall of the sleeve portion of plug 11b may be straight or tapered.

Plug 11b has the advantage of providing simultaneously functioning stops on both sides of the plug. This gives the plug greater support against end thrust and eccentric loads. It is better supported against twisting. It will also be noted from FIG. 9 that the fingers 20- may be offset from the fingers 21 lengthwise of the plug.

Merely because the use of this invention has been described as providing one-half inch adjustment in oneeighth increments, the invention is not to be considered as so limited. The total amount of adjustment can be more or less than this. Also, the length of the increments can be increased or decreased. Also, for ease of insertion, the skirt 12 of the plug may have a lengthwise slit circumferentially offset from the fingers. This. however, is a conventional means of accomplishing this and ac cordingly, is not considered to be a part of this invention.

Having described a preferred embodiment of this invention and some modifications thereof, it will be recognized that other modifications may be made, all embodying the spirit of this invention. Such of these modifications as incorporate the principles of this invention are to be considered as included in the hereinafter appended claims, unless these claims expressly state otherwise.

I claim:

1. An end piece for a shade roller comprising: a tubular body of resilient material having a cap portion closing one end; a mounting element for said roller secured to said cap portion; a tongue formed from the side of said tubular body and severed therefrom along three of its sides; said tongue being integral with said body on its side remote from said cap portion; said tongue having a plurality of radially projecting ribs on its outer face intermediate its ends, said ribs being spaced each from the other lengthwise relative to said body; and each of said ribs arranged to engage the end of said roller when the end piece is extended therefrom, permitting said end piece to be extended to any of several distances in predetermined increments.

2. An end piece for a shade roller comprising: a tubular body of resilient material having a cap portion closing one end; a mounting element for said roller secured to said cap portion; a plurality of tongues formed from the side of said tubular body and severed therefrom along three of their sides; said tongues being integral with said body on their side remote from said cap portion; said tongues each having a radially projecting rub on their outer face intermediate their ends; and said rib on each of said tongues being spaced lengthwise of said body from the ribs on the others of said tongues.

3. An end piece as described in claim 2 wherein each of said tongues has a plurality of ribs with the ribs on each of said tongues being spaced from each other lengthwise of said body and the ribs of each tongue being spaced lengthwise of said body from the ribs on the others of said tongues.

4. An end piece as described in claim 3 wherein each of said tongues is elongated and tapered in width, having its greatest width dimension at the end where it is integral with said body.

5. A shade roller comprising: a roller member having an open tubular end; an end element having a tubular body of resilient material and a cap portion closing one end thereof; said end element being telescopically received in said open tubular end of said roller member; a mounting element for said roller secured to said cap portion; a plurality of tongues formed from the side of said tubular body and severed therefrom along three of their sides; said tongues being integral with said body on their side remote from said cap portion; each of said tongues having a plurality of radially-projecting ribs on its outer face intermediate its ends; each of said ribs on each of said tongues being spaced from each other lengthwise of said body and the ribs of each tongue being spaced from the ribs 0n the other tongues lengthwise of said body; and each of said ribs being adapted to engage the end of said roller when said end element is partially extended from said roller member, permitting said end element to be extended to any of several distances in predetermined increments.

6. A shade roller comprising: a roller member having an open tubular end; an end element having a tubular body of resilient material and a cap portion closing one end thereof; said end element being telescopically received in said open tubular end of said roller member; a mounting element for said roller secured to said cap portion; a plurality of tongues formed from the side of said tubular body and severed therefrom along three of their sides; said tongues being integral With said body on their side remote from said cap portion; said tongues being arranged in pairs with the tongues of each pair on opposite sides of said body; a plurality of ribs on each of said tongues, With the ribs of each pair being circumferentially aligned and offset lengthwise of said body from the ribs of the other of said pair of tongues; each of said ribs being adapted to engage the end of said roller when said end element is partially extended from said roller member, permitting said end element to be extended to any of several distances in predetermined increments.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,006,427 10/1911 Boraks 287-58 1,339,333 5/1920 [Hein 28758 1,732,430 10/ 1929 Bender et al. -263 2,461,625 2/ 1949 Benson 287-58 3,099,916 8/1963 Rosenbaum 64-5 X 3,123,351 3/1964 Graber 287-58 BROUGHTON G. DURHAM, Primary Examiner.

HALL C. COE, Examiner. 

1. AN END PIECE FOR A SHADE ROLLER COMPRISING A TUBULAR BODY OF RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVING A CAP PORTION CLOSING ONE END; A MOUNTING ELEMENT FOR SAID ROLLER SECURED TO SAID CAP PORTION; A TONGUE FORMED FROM THE SIDE OF SAID TUBULAR BODY AND SEVERED THEREROM ALONG THREE OF ITS SIDES; SAID TONGUE BEING INTEGRAL WITH SAID BODY ON ITS SIDE REMOTE FROM SAID CAP PORTION; SAID TONGUE HAVING A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY PROJECTING RIBS ON OUTER FACE INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS, SAID RIBS BEING SPACED EACH FROM THE OTHER LENGTHWISE RELATIVE TO SAID BODY; AND EACH OF SAID RIBS ARRANGED TO ENGAGE THE END OF SAID ROLLER WHEN THE END PIECE IS EXTENDED THEREFROM, PERMITTING SAID END PIECE TO BE EXTENDED TO ANY OF SEVERAL DISTANCES IN PREDETERMINED INCREMENTS. 